An apparent tornado struck a high school Thursday, trapping students under rubble and killing at least thirteen people, emergency officials said.

State emergency management spokeswoman Yasamie Richardson said the fatalities "are in relation to the high school but whether they are all students or some students and teachers we're not sure."

More than 40 people were brought in to an Enterprise hospital, and damaged homes and one death were reported in west Alabama as a violent storm front crossed the state.

The same system was blamed for a tornado that killed a 7-year-old girl in Missouri.

Martha Rodriquez, a 15-year-old sophomore, said she had left the school about five minutes before the storm hit. When she returned, a hall at the school had collapsed, she said. She did not know if anyone was hurt.

"The stadium was destroyed and there were cars tipped over in the parking lot and trees were ripped out. There were trees and wood everywhere. It was just horrible," she said. In southern Missouri, Howell County Sheriff Robbie Crites identified the young victim as Elizabeth Croney. Her mother, father and two brothers were injured when a tornado hit their mobile home in a rural wooded area near West Plains, Crites said.

JBucc

03-01-2007, 06:27 PM

If a tornado came through our school when I was there, we'd have all been wiped out. At the time they were building a new school on the campus and all of us were in trailers, excuse me, "mobile education units." Several times we asked, but they never told us what we were to do if a tornado actually came.

leviw

03-01-2007, 06:48 PM

Death toll up to 15 at the high school. Two more in the town of Enterprise. Eighteen total in Alabama.